“Do you have any objections?” He glanced at her.
She quickly shut up. “No, not at all. Take all the time you need to think right now. I’ll be waiting for your answer right here.”
Right here? She’s a stubborn one, he thought. The man pursed her lips and stayed quiet for around a minute.
Jiang Xiaobai asked, “How is it looking? Have you made a decision?”
Xiao Su frowned at her and reminded, “It’s only one minute.”
“Is that so?” Jiang Xiaobai tilted her head and blinked at him. “And I thought it’s a century already.” Xiao Su thought she was kidding, so he didn’t answer her, but a minute later, she asked again, “Are you done?” Nope, he thought. “What is taking you so long? Tell me.” Xiao Su didn’t want to listen to her, and he refused to talk. She asked me two times within two minutes.
Jiang Xiaobai wasn’t angry at him being silent, so she waited as time passed. Xiao Su was quiet, but at the same time, he thought, She can’t be asking me every minute, right? He then counted the time quietly. Another minute later, Jiang Xiaobai looked at him as scheduled. The man could feel his expression stiffening up.
“How’s your consideration going, Mr. Xiao? You won’t get another chance like this if you miss it.”
“You can’t be thinking of asking me every minute if I don’t tell you my answer, can you?” Jiang Xiaobai nodded, while the corner of Xiao Su’s eye twitched. This girl is really…
“So, what will it be? Will you agree to me now, or do I have to ask you every minute?”
Xiao Su glanced at her nonchalantly. “Is this your strategy?”
“Yeah,” Jiang Xiaobai admitted it without hesitation, then she approached him, her face nearly touching him. She was a girl, but it was as if she didn’t know about it, nor did she think she was being too close. “Are you going to say yes?” She beamed.
Damn it. He looked away and said nothing, shocked by her approach.
Jiang Xiaobai tugged his sleeve. “I’ll take it as you agreed to it if you’re not saying anything.” Xiao Su said nothing, so Jiang Xiaobai grinned. “Alright, so from now on, you’re my boyfriend.”
Xiao Su frowned when she mentioned he was her boyfriend, so the man looked back and corrected her, “Pretend boyfriend.”
“Oh, I know that, honey.” Jiang Xiaobai patted his shoulder. Delighted by him agreeing, she went and held his arm.
“What are you doing?” Xiao Su was on high alert as the girl suddenly approached him and leaned against him. He could smell her perfume lingering around him.
“Nothing. I just want you to get used to it, since you’re my boyfriend. It’s normal to be this close from now on, no?” Jiang Xiaobai blinked, feeling that this wasn’t a big deal. Her mother was a perceptive person, so she would find out about them being a fake couple if they acted too stiffly, so Jiang Xiaobai wanted to practice.
However, Xiao Su was averse to this. After he listened to her explanation, the man held her hand and pried it away. “We are just a fake couple. Aside from specific events, we have to stay clear of each other. You cannot stay too close to me, and you can’t touch me.”
Jiang Xiaobai snorted at him. “Why? Are you saving yourself for the person you love? But she has someone she likes, so no matter how you value yourself, she won’t come back.”
Xiao Su’s heart ached at the mention of this. That girl has gone on a trip with another guy, and it’s a honeymoon trip specially prepared by the young lady. She wants them to fall in love quicker. Maybe they’ll get married after they come back from the trip. Xiao Su smiled bitterly at the thought of that. “You think too much.”
Am I? I don’t think so. Jiang Xiaobai patted his shoulder, for she pitied him. “Don’t worry. Now that you’ve helped me, I’ll help you in return. I will help you get over this lost love!”
Since they had come to an agreement, Xiao Su sent her back on his way home. After Fang Tangtang was done watching her idol’s show, she saw that a man was by Jiang Xiaobai’s side when she came back. She quickly dragged Jiang Xiaobai away and whispered, “What happened? I went to listen to a few songs, and you managed to pull it off? I thought you said you didn’t want to trouble him.”
“Oh.” Jiang Xiaobai said matter-of-factly, “Change of plans. The situation has changed, you see.”
Fang Tangtang asked, “Does that mean he agreed to be your pretend boyfriend?”
“Yeah, I don’t have to worry anymore. Though I don’t know how long it will last this time.”
Fang Tangtang smiled mischievously. “Hmm, you can make him into your actual boyfriend. He looks decent.”
“It’s not like you’ve met him that many times, so how do you know he’s decent? Through his looks?” Jiang Xiaobai glared at her. She thought of how Xiao Su pushed her away when she teased him about having him be her real boyfriend back then, so she said, “It’s impossible.”
“Impossible? Why? Are you that uncharismatic you can’t even settle a man? You disappoint me, Jiang Xiaobai.”
“Go back if you’ve messed around enough. It’s getting late.” Jiang Xiaobai left after that. She didn’t tell Fang Tangtang what she had encountered earlier. Xiao Su noticed she came back rather quickly, while the girl beside her was sizing him up and waved at him shyly.
“Hi, I’m Fang Tangtang. Xiaobai’s friend.”
Xiao Su nodded politely, his expression neutral. “Hello, Xiao Su here.” He sounded aloof, but also calm, which made Fang Tangtang like him more.
Jiang Xiaobai was stunned. She could never forget what he did to get her to help him with his script back then. She could never forget how he threatened her on WhatsApp and how he came into her house to drag her out from the warm embrace of her bed. Then he forced her to write the script. In the end, he even pulled a handful of her hair off. Now look at him. Being all polite, wow.
“It’s late, so I’ll send you two back.”
Jiang Xiaobai replied, “Are you going to drive? But you drank alcohol, so it won’t be too convenient, no? Why don’t my friend and I get a ride back?”
“I’ll send you guys back.”
Fang Tangtang stood beside Jiang Xiaobai as they followed behind Xiao Su. Then, Fang Tangtang said, “Xiaobai, this man looks a bit aloof, don’t you think?”
